Fig. 105: Plan of The Palace of the First Emperor

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Chinese tradition tells us how the first emperor designed his palace
according to the 3 x 3 square, the central room his shrine (fig. 105. The palace was
placed in the centre of the city, which was divided according to the same plan. The
province was arranged in like fashion, with the capital at the centre; the country was
divided into nine provinces, the middle one being the province of the emperor himself
(fig. 106). And according to the ancient Chinese tradition, China was at the navel of the
world, a traditional view supported by the Irish, Egyptians, Greeks, Indians, Persians,
and Hebrews, who all felt the same about their respective native lands.